Azerbaijani news agency recognizes Karabakh. Typo or not?

November 23, 2012 - 13:38 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net - For the first time in the history of Azerbaijani-Armenian confrontation, Azeri state-run agency Trend reported that OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs met with President of NKR (Nagorno Karabakh Republic) Bako Sahakyan, not the head of “separatist regime” as it’s usually mentioned in Azeri media outlets.

The news article titled “OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to visit Armenia” literary reads, “The Co-Chairs accompanied by the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk visited Nagorno Karabakh, where they held talks with NKR President Bako Sahakyan.”

Certainly, the information was later completely deleted from the website.

Meanwhile, another Azerbaijani news agency “haqqin.az” has expressed skepticism over Trend journalists’ making a typo as Azeri state agencies normally use different pronouns, quotation marks and symbols in similar cases.

“Is official Baku reconsidering the concept of information war against Armenia?” haqqin.az said, linking the occurrence with Armenia’s Heritage party leader Raffi Hovannissian’s arrival in Baku and the planned visit of RA parliament speaker to Azerbaijan.

Earlier during his visit to Baku, Hovannissian slammed the use of such political words as “occupation” incorrect with regard to Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

“Using this term, we can say that a big part of Armenian lands is occupied by Turkey and Azerbaijan,” he said, noting Azerbaijani aggression against Artsakh people as the reason behind the Karabakh conflict.

Heritage party leader noted establishment of peace and restoration of relations possible once the countries acknowledge the responsibility they claim for the region.

“Artsakh people have full right to expression and assertion of identity. I understand the problem of 700 thous. Azerbaijani refugees and the rights of 400 thous. Armenian refugees banished from Baku and Sumgait. They all have the right to return to their lands, including Azerbaijanis to independent Karabakh and Armenians to Turkey,” Mr. Hovannissian said.